M.T. Decker

Book Review – The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon

Author: Elizabeth Moon

• Title: The Deed of Paksenarrion
• Pages: 1044
• Formats: Hardback, Paperback, Kindle, Audio Book
• Availability: Amazon
• Website: Elizabeth Moon

Book Blurb:

Paksenarrion, a simple sheepfarmer’s daughter, yearns for a life of adventure and glory, such as was known to heroes in songs and story. At age seventeen she runs away from home to join a mercenary company and begins her epic life . . . Book One: Paks is trained as a mercenary, blooded, and introduced to the life of a soldier . . . and to the followers of Gird, the soldier’s god. Book Two: Paks leaves the Duke’s company to follow the path of Gird alone—and on her lonely quests encounters the other sentient races of her world. Book Three: Paks the warrior must learn to live with Paks the human. She undertakes a holy quest for a lost elven prince that brings the gods’ wrath down on her and tests her very limits.

 The concept:

A girl from the most common of places – a sheep farmer’s daughter, with dreams of being so much more learns that it takes to become what she was born to be

The Characters:

Main Character:

Character Name: Paksenarrion (Paks)

What works – The story is about a young woman’s trial by fire,  a commoner with dreams and determination.  Paks is an old style heroine with personality… dreams and the guts to follow it through.  When you come down to it – she works because she is a person, with personality and the fact that you’re discovering the world through her eyes.

Least Favorite trait  – Paks is, at times, too good natured – always believing the best in people and seeing herself in them (It is also one of her endearing traits)  No one’s ever said  a character flaw couldn’t be ‘good’

Why it works/doesn’t work:

This story works because Paks is an ‘every man’  she’s not born into power or strength, what she gets she earns… and pays for… sometimes too dearly – but she grows and changes and learns.

She walks through hell, and it breaks my heart when she does… but when she reaches the other side… she is stronger.  It’s a heroic tale of epic proportions.

What I liked:  

The Deed of Paksenarrion is a compilation of a three book trilogy – Sheep Farmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiance and Oath of Gold.  It is and epic hero’s journey, and Elizabeth Moon put so much depth into the characters and the world – The woman knows what she’s talking about and it shows.

What I didn’t like:

 I know that it’s an important part of any hero’s journey – where in the end of the second act, the hero hits their lowest point– and when you have a trilogy it usually means the ending of the second book leaves you in tears, if its done right and this story was done right.  Each dark point serves it’s purpose… but it gets dark.

I first read the series over 15 years ago – and reading it again was like seeing an old friend.  It was really good to know that the story works as well now as it did then.  It is hard to see the evil the befalls a good character – even knowing how it ends…